Wire-stretcher.



G. E, MANOR.

WIRE STRETCHEB.

APPLICATION man IULY 7. 1915.

Patemeal Apr. 25, 19M

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GEORGE E. MANOR, OF TOWA'NDA, KANSAS.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 25, 1916i.

Application filed July 7, 1915. Serial to. 38,521.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that T, GEORGE E. MANOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Towanda, in the county of Butler and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wire-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to an improved wire stretcher and the principal object of the invention is to provide a stretcher which can be used for tightening the line wires of a fence, the stretcher being provided with improved pulley housings carrying the pulley wheels and winding drums for the cable, and to also provide an improved type of clutch for engaging the wire to be tightened. Another object of the invention is to so construct the clutch that it may be used upon smooth wire as well as barb wire.

Another object of the invention is to so construct the pulley housings as to prevent any danger of the cable slipping oii' of the pulleys and thus becoming jammed between the pulleys and the bars forming the hous in s.

another object of the invention is to so construct the pulley housings as to permit them to be formed from strips of metal bent to assume the proper shape.

Another ob iect of the invention is to so construct the housings that the pins forming the axles for the pulley wheels and drum may also serve as means for holding the bars in the proper position.

Another object of the invention is to 0 construct the same as to permit it to be use .1 as a mid wire take up as well as for engaging the end of a single strand of wire.

This invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a view showing the stretcher in top plan and in position for use. Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of one of the wire engaging clamps forming part of the stretcher. Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through the clamp shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view through theclamp taken along the line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

The pulley housing indicated in general by the numeral 0 in Fig. 1 is formed of four strips of iron or other metal constituting the inner arms 11 and 12 and outer arms 13 and 14:. A rivet 15 passes through the outer end portic i arms and thus securely connects the arms to provide a substantially rigid pulley housing. The outer ends of the arms 11 and 12 extend beyond the outer ends of the arms 13 and 1a and are provided with alined openings 16 in which the ring 17 is mounted. This ring carries the chain 18 which may be passed around the bracing post 19 and has its free end releasably connected with the ring by means of hooks 20 when the stretcher is in use; The shaft 21 which carries the pulley wheels 22 and 23 and winding drum 24: is I rotatably mounted in o enings formed in the lnner end portions 0 the arms forming the pulley housing and serves the double purposeof mounting the pulley and drum and of engaging the inner end portions of the arms to assist in holding the arms in the proper osition to form the pulley housing. A. hand e or turning bar 25 is carried by the outer end portion of the shaft 21 and it will thus be seen that by turning this handle the cable 26 may be wound upon the drum 24:. In order to releasably hold the drum in a set position there has been pro- *ided a pawl 2 which engages the teeth of ratchet 28 formed upon one end of the drum. The second pulley housing indicated in general by the numeral 29 is also formed of four-strips of metal forming the inner arms 30 and 31 and outer arms 32 and 33, the arms having their outer end portions tightly secured by means of the rivet 84:. The inner ends of the arms of this housing 29 are connected by the pin 35 forming a shaft for the pulley wheels 36, 37 and 38, the pulley wheels mentioned being provided with shelves 39 which extend partially about the same as the closed in Fig. 2 and serve as means for pro venting the cable 26 from slipping ofi of the pulley wheels. It is obvious that the pulley wheels 22 and 23 could be provided with similar protecting shelves if desired. The cable 26 is secured in the opening 10 of the inner bar 12 of the pulley housing 10 and is then passed around the pulleys 37, 23, 36 and 22 and then carried across and passed around the pulley wheels 38 and has its end portion wound upon drum 21. It will thus be seen that by turning shaft 21 the cable will be wound upon the drum and thus the distance between the pulley housings will be lessened and the wire will be stretched.

Chains 4:1 and 42 are carried by the rings 17 and 43, each of the chains having its Q greases free end portion connected with a wire clutch indicated. in general by the numeral 44 and 45 in Fig. 1. The chain 41 is releasably connected with ring 17 by means of hooks 46 so that if desired this chain may be removed. Each of the clutches is constructed as shown in Figs. 4 and 5 and includes a trough or body portion 47 having side walls 48 and 49, the wall 48 being of greater height than the wall 49. In order to tightly'engage a wire 50 there is provided' a gripping pawl 51 having inner and outer arms 52 and 53 which straddle the shorter wall 49 and prevents the pawl from having transverse movement in the trough 47. The inner arm 52 engages the Wire as clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 5, anymovement of the wire to slip out of the trough causing the pawl to be moved into tighter engagement with the wire thus preventing the wire from slipping.

When this structure is in use and it is desired to stretch a wire at one end of a fence or at points along the side of the same when constructing the same the chain 18 will be placed around the post 19 and the Wire 50 will be engaged by the clutch 45. Cable 26 will then be wound upon drum 24 thus tightening the wire the desired amount. If the cable is already wound upon the drum and the wire is not as tight as desired the end of the wire can be engaged by clutch 4-4 and the drum then released from, the pawl 27 thus permitting the cable to be unwound and a new grasp obtained upon wire by clutch 45. The cable canthen again be wound upon the drum thus tightening the wire the desired amount. If it is desired to draw the ends of a wire together at a point intermediate the length of the fence, the wire having been broken, the stretcher would be usedin the following manner. Chain 41 wilhbe-atended so that one end portion of the wire can beengaged by clutch 44 and the opposite end portion engaged by clutch 45. Care must be taken "to brace the end portions of the wire at the proper places so that the wire can be stretched a sufficient distance with one winding of the cable. After the wire has been stretched as tight as desired the end portions of the wire can be twisted together or otherwise connected thus repairing the break in the fence. It will thus be seen that this stretcher can be used for stretching a wire forming a fence or may be used as a mid wire take up in repairing broken Wire. It is obvious that if desired additional arms such as the arms 13 and 32 could be provided Goptes of this patent may Tes ettained for five cent thus increasing the size of a pulley housing and permitting additional pulley wheels to be used. It will also be obvious that if desired the arms 13 and the arms 32 could be removedin order to decrease the size of the housing.

What is claimed is 1. In a wire stretcher, a body comprising a pair of metallic strips forming inner arms in contacting relation at one end and in spaced relation at the opposite end, other metallic strips forming outer arms having portions contacting with the engaging portions of the inner arms, the other end portion of said outer arms lying in spaced relation to the spaced portions of said inner arms, securing means passed through the contacting portions of all of said arms, and a shaft rotatably mounted in the spaced portions of said arms; in combination with a drum fixed to said shaft, pulleys loose on said shaft, and means to rotate said shaft.

2. In a wire stretcher, a metallic strip having apertures formed adjacent the re spective ends thereof, a second strip contasting with said first strip and havin an aperture registering with one of the a oresaid apertures, one end of said second strip being offset to provide an arm lying in spaced relation to the first mentioned strip, duplicate strips of uniform width and breadth having one end portion in contacting relation with said first and second mentioned strips respectively, and terminating short of the registering apertures in the said strips, securing means passed through the contacting portions of all of said strips, one of said last mentioned strips being offset to provide an arm lying in spaced relation to the first mentioned strip, and the other end of said last mentioned strips being offset to provide an arm lying in spaced re lation to the arm of said second mentioned strip, a shaft rotatably mounted in said arms and extending through said first mentioned strip, pulleys loosely mounted on said shaft, a winding drum keyed to said shaft, and a handle rigidly mounted on said shaft. whereby said shaft may be rotated to actuate said drum, and means carried by said first mentioned strip to prevent retrograde movement of said winding drum.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature. in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE E. MANOR.

\Vitnesses:

B. C. PYLE, Jorr. E. DAVIS.

5 each, by addressing the "Commissioner of l'etenta, Washington, 20. s3." 

